Herbal supplements are well known and have been used to supplement traditional dietary and medical regimens. Typically such supplements are in the form of extracts which are believed to provide health and medicinal benefits including the prevention and treatment of disease.
Many plants which are used in the manufacture of extracts are known to synthesize chemicals that are useful in the maintenance of health in humans. However, despite the increase in the use of such extracts the understanding of plant-drug interactions is still in its infancy. This lack of understanding of such interactions can lead to adverse reactions which can be life-threatening or, in a worst case scenario, fatal.
Furthermore, the precise composition of such extracts has not been fully defined and as such many plant extracts may contain compounds that can adversely affect drug kinetics in a subject.
For example, a popular plant extract is red yeast rice. This extract has many uses including food coloring and as an ingredient in rice wine. More recently red yeast rice extract has been used to lower lipids and cholesterol levels. However, the known extracts of red yeast rice contain significant amounts of contaminants.
Accordingly, the removal of one or more of these contaminants would be advantageous in increasing both consumer confidence as to the precise contents of the extract and providing regulatory authorities with accurate data regarding the composition of the extract.
There is a need to provide a plant extract having a reduced amount of contaminants that overcomes, or at least ameliorates, one or more of the disadvantages described above.
There is a need to provide a plant extract having a reduced amount of contaminants having an adverse effect on pharmacokinetics of a drug in a subject.